Convert your Rear Turn Signals to Amber Lights

[wenglish]

Is this simply a lens swap with UK lenses that can be purchased from a UK dealer?

[Padawan]

Originally Posted by wenglish

Is this simply a lens swap with UK lenses that can be purchased from a UK dealer?

The lights can be purchased from a European dealer (must be off a LHD car because of the position of the rear fog), but there is a significant amount of rewiring that must be done in order to get them working properly.

[The Rigger]

Originally Posted by wenglish

Is this simply a lens swap with UK lenses that can be purchased from a UK dealer?

Nope. You're changing from a single dual-filament bulb on the US-spec tail lamps to two single-filament bulbs on the euro-spec lamps, to perform the separate "Brake" and "Turn Indicator" functions. There's a significant amount of rewiring involved.

[wenglish]

Darn, thanks Padawan and The Rigger. I was hoping they were separate bulbs under the lens. Why on earth did smart do this? The Japanese manufacturers seem to be willing to sell cars with amber turn signals in the US (heck, even a few models from the US manufacturers have them).

Mike

[Padawan]

Originally Posted by wenglish

Why on earth did smart do this?

My guess is that the European half red/half amber lights did not provide enough illuminated surface area to meet DOT specs (i.e., the brake lights were too "small"), so they needed to combine the stop and turn into one larger unit. This is just my hypothesis, because there is nothing else that should prevent the Euro lights from meeting DOT approval, and there would otherwise be no reason to go through the expense of creating specific lights for the US market.

[kevster03]

comes down to cost i imagine.

2 color injection molding vs 3 (amber, clear, red) plus adding the DOT required reflectors. and one bulb vs 2 separate, plus removing the rear fog lamp.

[cubefx]

Originally Posted by Padawan

My guess is that the European half red/half amber lights did not provide enough illuminated surface area to meet DOT specs (i.e., the brake lights were too "small"), so they needed to combine the stop and turn into one larger unit. This is just my hypothesis, because there is nothing else that should prevent the Euro lights from meeting DOT approval, and there would otherwise be no reason to go through the expense of creating specific lights for the US market.

We might have yellow turn signals on all new cars soon.

NHTSA considering amber turn signal mandate


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NHTSA considering amber turn signal mandate

07/02/2009, 2:51 PM

By Andrew Ganz




While many cars sold in North America feature red turn signal indicators built into their rear light clusters, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that the amber signals installed in some cars can be more than 5 percent more effective at preventing wrecks than their red counterparts, which the agency says blend too much with brake lights.



The agency says it is considering mandating orange turn signals, rather than allow automakers to choose the color, for the near future.
European countries have long required orange turn signals for the rear, while the United States Federal Motor Vehicle [COLOR=darkgreen ! important]Safety Standard[/COLOR] No. 108. has not regulated the color.
Analysts say that the change would not be costly for automakers since it would merely require a change in lens color.



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[cubefx]

Originally Posted by kevster03

comes down to cost i imagine.

2 color injection molding vs 3 (amber, clear, red) plus adding the DOT required reflectors. and one bulb vs 2 separate, plus removing the rear fog lamp.

I might be wrong, but I imagine that it is cheaper to use same mold and harness then try to make a new ones just for North America.

[Mike T]

Originally Posted by Padawan

My guess is that the European half red/half amber lights did not provide enough illuminated surface area to meet DOT specs (i.e., the brake lights were too "small....

Good guess, I agree. We imagined that was the reason smart had to go to red turn signals on the rear of the Canadian 450 at considerable expense (extensive rewiring was required as well as a special electrical ECU, not to mention a special order of just over 10,000 bicolour lenses) could only be explained by the surface area being too small.